An online petition calling on Lady Gaga to “stop glamourising bulimia” with on-stage performance art has been launched. Following a similar complaint by singer Demi Lovato, campaigners denounced Gaga’s recent SXSW concert and urged her to “end her professional relationship” with English “vomit painter” Millie Brown.

“Pop star Lady Gaga once struggled with bulimia, but now she is glamourising the eating disorder,” begins the Care 2 petition. “Hundreds of young women die from eating disorders every year, and many of her fans are at an age where women begin to develop these disorders. Lady Gaga needs to recognise the damage she could cause with [vomit] stunts … [and] stop using imagery that could trigger fans struggling with eating disorders!”

The outrage follows Gaga’s controversial SXSW gig last week, when Brown was brought on stage to regurgitate coloured soy milk over herself and the pop star. “Sad … as if we didn’t have enough people glamorizing eat[ing] disorders already,” tweeted Lovato, who has spoken about her own experience with an eating disorder. “Young people who are struggling to figure out their identities are seriously influenced by the things they see their idols do … Bottom line, it’s not ‘cool’ or ‘artsy’ at all.”

In 2012, Gaga said she had struggled with disordered eating since she was a teenager and posted images of herself with the caption: “Bulimia and anorexia since I was 15.” But she has not responded to criticism about Brown’s performance, leaving the only reply to the artist, who claimed an “absolute [right to] freedom of expression”. Speaking to Don’t Panic in 2011, Brown denied that her art was a “conscious comment on bulimia”. “In no way do I want to promote bulimia,” she said, “but if my work evokes us to think about a disease that affects so many people in such a terrible way, then I feel it will at least be raising some awareness.”

For those who signed the petition, Gaga’s “raising awareness” for bulimia can easily be interpreted as an endorsement of the illness. “If she at least would explain the meaning behind this ‘work’ or [acknowledge] people’s concern it could speak measures,” wrote one commenter. “Her silence on this matter is what bothers me the most.” As for the petition’s creator, Chris Wolverton, his interests appear diverse: he has previously launched petitions aimed at Pope Francis, the UK military, the Nevada legislature and Taiwanese clergy.

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